Unfair Escalating Rates 3-23-2011

I began a 6-month contract with Champion last year in October 2010. I got a very good rate of 7.5cents per kWh and received two different new customer credit discounts of $25 each totaling $50 within the first 2-3 months of service. However, when I received an email notifying me that my contract would be ending and up for renewal this April, I thought I would have some time before renewing. Wrong! I began complaining about this, but only to see that as I login daily that the rates have been going up, up and up! Since 3/11/11 they have steadily (daily, weekly) risen from 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 9.0 and today a posting of 9.3! They told me that it was due to fluctuations in the natural gas market prices, which I do not understand. They also told me when I had previously inquired about renewal rates in an email, that "your new rate will probably be the same or less than what you are currently on." Big LIE and they knew it ahead of time!! They also told me in a subsequent email that I was on their "winter rate plan" and "your new rates will be increasing for the summer." Valerie Contreras is one of the CS reps who will lie to you and just tell you what she thinks sounds good to get your hopes up to renew. Terrible business ethics who needs to be totally re-trained! I also saw where they quickly made the 14 month plan obsolete and deleted it completely from my viewing. They do not have any renewal plans for anything less than 12 months now just to force one into a horrible rate long-term. Before I knew it, someone messed around with the Promo code of 'RENEWPREF' which was going to give me a preferred customer rate of 8.7, and removed this from my being able to enter. Someone is messing with the system and jacking, jacking, jacking UP the rates. I'm thinking of starting to see a trend just like 'ol crappy, sucky TXU! Champion's online billing system is a backwards joke for sure. One cannot "schedule" a 'future' payment for when your bill is due. You either pay it realtime right when your're online or wait until the day it is due. They have some silly online Excel spreadsheet for reporting, which does not accurately work or make any sense..period! So why even have some nonsense out there at all? They are complete IDIOTS! They like to 'brag' about being a recipient of J.D. Powers & Associates. But go out to JDPA's website and you will not find a mention for the last year for them as a preferred Retail Electric Provider. Again, false advertising just to con one into signing up on their website! Also, they don't even have any customer testimonies on their website! WHAT business intheir right mind would ot do that??? I was the one who told them that they needed to get with the program and be on FaceBook, Twitter, etc. I mean really, they are major ###-backwards for eCommerce! I have to wonder who is running their Business Development team. I don't think they even have one. They are complete idiots with very, very inexperienced young and dumb (probably well-underpaid) staff who know NOTHING about online billing, ecommerce, customer retention, etc. And BTW, you don't even have the capability to change your telephone number. Big brother, yea is watching. Or goo-goo gah-gah I'm a baby and don't know what to do...!!! You have to 'notify' a CS person to do it cause the online system won't let you! Then, upon renewal if you don't renew a contract like RIGHT AWAY..they try and put the screws to you! If you "complain" as I have, then they start to get pissed off after a few emails and send a copy to 'escalating'. They are the ones who get unprofessional when they should be working to keep you as a valued customer. I'm looking at possibly contracting with StarTex Power, but have found that people either love them or just really hate their guts. Deregulation sucks, and all the corporate greedy, dirty (not to mention dumkopfs) have come out of the woodwork to take advantage of folks. (I wish I could get solar screens put on my roof.) Because raising the rates on a daily basis to get up to where greedy giants like TXU are now is just...WRONG!! I'm sure by April, May months Champion will be up to 11 or 12 cents per kWh and I feel sorry for the people whose contract ends at this time. If anyone has any suggestions I'm all to hear it.

Comments

We value our customers and their feedback. As director of customer retention for Champion Energy, I’d like to provide some facts so that other readers may evaluate this post fairly.

We do not manipulate prices, predict the market on the market, or change prices specificially to "get"our customers. We change our prices to reflect the underlying wholesale electricity market – which we do not control. The wholesale energy market change every 15 minutes. Because of this volatility in the electricity market, all prices quoted to the consumer are "as of today" until you lock in a contract, and all renewal notices specifically state: "Rate listed is the energy charge per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and is valid as of (email date). Rates are subject to change at any time without notice. Average price per kWh will vary based on usage."

When you buy a power contract that includes winter/spring months only, prices tend to be lower, and your contract price is lower. For example, you mention you contracted with us in October 2010 at a rate of 7.5 cents for 6 months. Now that you are looking at a renewal, you are looking at contract rates that include summer months, when electricity is more expensive.

We are proud to have been ranked “Highest in Residential Customer Satisfaction with Retail Electric Service” by JD Power and Associates. We offer 24/7 customer care with agents here in Houston, Texas. We are A-rated by the Houston BBB, have served customers in Texas since 2004, and have among the lowest complaint levels of any residential electric provider in Texas. Other readers can check the facts using the links below.
JD Power and Associates: http://www.jdpower.com/homes/ratings/texas-electric-retailer-ratings/
Public Utility Commission of Texas: www.powertochoose.com/_content/_complaint/index.aspx
Customer Ratings and Reviews: www.texaselectricityratings.com
Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbb.org/houston/business-reviews/electric-companies/champion-energy-s... />
I'm sorry that you have been dissatisfied with our service. You have my direct phone number and my direct email. Please feel free to contact me to discuss this further. If you choose to switch away from Champion, I will ensure your early termination penalty is waived.

I am having the same issue I was off contract for 5 days and my electice bill for five day was $203.13. I called and spoke to several representatives and yes they are all idiots!! I will cancel my newly renewed contract and go with someone else. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY THEY WILL SCREW YOU!!!

Sorry you were unhappy with your out-of-contract rate. I'm guessing that you came off contract near the end of July and the 5 days your electricity was out of contract were Aug 1-5 or thereabouts. Aug 1-5 2011 were some of the highest wholesale "real time" electricity prices in the history of Texas deregulation. When you are off contract, you pay the "real" price of electricity, and we don't buy electricty for you in advance, or lock in a rate. We send all customers multiple reminders by email, include the contract expiration date on the bill and include bill inserts 60-days in advance of expiration. Customers who have no email on file receive a letter with their contract documents. Email me at feedback@championenergyservices.com and copy your post to that email, along with your account number. I'd be happy to look into your concern. -- R Bridges, Champion Energy, Director of Residential Retention

Same issue...I was out of contract and my rate DOUBLED. I called Champion Energy and was told there was nothing they could do, the rates where higher because of the electric consumption for July-August 2011. This rate doubled after I started looking at other providers on line and I discovered that the rates where actually lower overall instead of higher as the Champion Custmer Service reported.

Dont get me started. My billable rate was 8.6 cents, they jacked it all the way up to 20 cents per kwh!!! I am in touch with Rebecca Bridges, who agreed to split the "retail addr" fee with me, but nothing else. I have contacted Champions CEO via email and have also put in a formal complaint with the PUC. I suggest all of you file formal compalints. I will keep this and SEVERAL OTHER blog boards like this updated with recorded calls, anything in writing and the outcome as it happens.

Mr Bradshaw,
As we discussed on the phone, you received multiple notices of your contract expiration, sent to the email address your wife provided at enrollment. You also received bill inserts, and your contract expiration date was on the bill. Customers who are out of contract are billed on an index rate, a published formula that is tied to the wholesale price of electricity on the "real time" market, which changes every 15 minutes. Your were out of contract in August, when wholesale prices spiked to over $3 per kWh. Your bill reflects this cost that we incurred for power. Once we provide the PUCT with copies of the documents you were providede, I'm confident that they will find in Champion's favor. We did try to work with you to accommodate your requests. Sorry to lose you as a customer. -- Rebecca Bridges

We received our electric bill from Champion Energy yesterday. We did not expect our bill to be $792 (doubled form the previous month) especially since we used less energy. My husband called Champion and spoke with a CSR and was told we were no longer under contract and that "several" attempts had been made to contact us. When my husband asked when these attempts were made he couldn't give any specific times. The CSR did say attempts were made by phone. My husband called BS on this one and offered phone records. Then the CSR said it was on the bill. We pulled up over 6 months of bills...no messages. He then told my husband that a supervisor would call him back within 4 hours. This was a 4:07 p.m. At 8:07 p.m. my husband called back Champion and spoke to another supervisor. This time she said that he was emailed. The email on the account is a company email and the company requires archiving of all emails. Again, no contact was made. She also told my husband that the kw/h fee was of "fair market value." How is over 22 cents fair market value when Green Mountain charges (customers not under contract) 10.5 cents. He was then told that if we wanted to sign a contract they could lower our rate. Is anyone familiar with the term "extortion?" Another supervisor called today and told my husband that the only way to lower the rate was to sign a 6 month contract. No contract, no lower rate...the billl stands. This company is raping it's customers and expecting them to sign contracts. THIS IS EXTORTION IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD!!